Hey there, fellow foodies and sports fanatics! So, I know this is a bit of a late-night (or early-morning, depending on your vibe) rave, but I had to spill the beans about Water Bar! I popped in during the Final Four, and let me tell you, the service was absolutely phenomenal, the ambiance was electric (perfect for all those nail-biting moments!), and the food? Oh. My. Goodness. The food was so delicious, it deserves its own championship trophy! My server, Maria C, was an absolute superstar! She was super attentive, kept the good times rolling while I was glued to the game, and her food recommendations? Chef's kiss! I devoured a burger with sweet potato fries that was so good, it almost made me forget about the score. HIGHLY, highly recommend that combo! And the drinks - both cocktails and mocktails - were just divine. Overall, it was an absolutely AWESOME experience! I've already spread the gospel to my team and supervisor, and guess what? We're making a return on April 16th! read more

Such a cool spot but THE WORST hostess and bartender service - and the default tip to 25%... you don't deserve $.02. The hostess is never at the stand- so you walk to grab a drink and after passing by you 8-10 times are finally acknowledged.. only to be asked if you checked in with the hostess. Nope/ there isn't one and I only want a drink- I'm waiting on a friend. After an audible ughhhh and a distinct eye roll I'm reluctantly served. There's better spots around here- I wouldn't waste my time or money here again. read more

This place has a nice selection of oysters. Brine or no, there were two options each. The tuna appetizer was fantastic. Very high quality tuna there! Soft and buttery like toro. I asked the bartender to do "less sweet" on a margarita and she absolutely crushed it. Best marg in Crystal City/Arlington so far. read more

Great first experience! Reservations highly recommended, especially on good-weather days. The restaurant is beautiful. Normally has has water/waterfalls going, but none of them were on, possibly because it was raining the day prior. There are options to sit at the "windows" open or closed, which give vast views along Crystal Dr. I liked that there were overhead heaters as well. Service was great! Anthony was our server and he was kind and patient. The restaurant was fairly empty (assuming because of weather?), so the service was pretty quick. Everything we ate and drank was delicious. The blackened salmon sandwich was a 10/10. And the shrimp poboy was a 9/10!! The housemade lemonade was fresh. Parking in the garage is free on weekends. Can't wait to come back on a sunnier day! Thanks again, Anthony for great service. read more

See all

Fun views and drinks! We checked this place out after the movies! It was fun and the staff were welcoming! Diana the bartender was great! read more

Water Bar - Bubbly - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

The bartender Te' is AMAZING! We ordered several different cocktails and they were all perfectly made. We received tremendous customer service. She educated us on the menu and was extremely helpful. We were very impressed. The menu is limited and changes often. We ordered the burger which was pretty good. It's all pretty standard fare but elevated. The vibes and the views are great. We had a terrific time and will definitely return. 5 stars. Street parking is available as well as garage parking directly across the street. read more

What I'm about to say isn't very important to most of you, but it means the world to those of us trying to be COVID cautious. One side of Water Bar is a wall of completely open windows. That means you can eat inside unmasked and feel normal. And you can do it even if it rains (though I'm told in a downpour where the rain starts coming inside they may close the windows). This is a game changer since most places just have umbrellas for shade, if at all. Unfortunately the waterfall and water features of Water Bar were turned off. The server was really nice, though no one noticed us waiting at the host stand when we arrived. Now the bad news - we were all disappointed by the food, especially given the price - and considered it the worst meal of the trip. The crab cake sandwich was too gloppy with aioli (on not one but TWO sides of the bread. Along with tomatoes and lettuce I could barely taste the crab. The lobster roll was quite small and I think the worst I've ever had. It wasn't terrible - but only OK. The filling was only lobster, and I don't think the split roll was buttered. The son's lobster mac n cheese (which surprisingly came with two giant pesto baguettes) was disappointing. You could taste the lobster but unfortunately their cheese blend wasn't so good. Was it too much parm? The non-lobster mac n cheese at Maker's Social was much better. Several of the entrees included a side. The fries were the best part of the meal, and fried perfectly. The side salad was nice too. 2 stars but the food wasn't bad. I'd still go here in the rain. read more

Water bar is a great spot and has great drinks and music! They also have a good happy hour. The burger, chips and quac and brussel sprouts are really good. Highly recommend this spot read more

We were a bit early for our movie and decided to stop here as it is across the street. The water fountain wasn't working, but it didn't ruin the ambiance it was a cool evening which made our time enjoyable. We were able to catch them for happy hour and got the blueberry margarita, chicken, and guac. Everything came out rather quickly and the chicken bites really were a hit. The drinks were also made well, and the blueberry margarita was made with fresh blueberries. Definitely will be back on cool summer evenings. read more

Water Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

See all

Ambience was beautiful, outdoor drinks were perfect for this summer. Drinks were on point. And food really tasty. Fried shrimp are a must try! Big shout out to Nilo for making us have a great time. Deff coming back read more

Water Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

The Water Bar was pleasantly surprising. Such a well run operation too. We were able to get a seat at the window, right after it stormed so we had a nice breeze with the oversized windows open. Our waiter, Matt was incredible. The charcuterie board was great as were the s'mores. The only downside is that there's literally only one bathroom for the entire restaurant. There are bathrooms downstairs right outside of the restaurant that are spotless so it wasn't a huge inconvenience. Also, stay away from the espresso martinis. Nothing to write home about it, at all. read more

Water Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

The music is always on point and the cocktails and appetizers are tasty. A solid neighborhood spot

Great happy hour deal here. We had the oysters, mac & cheese, and shrimp. The drinks were excellent, and the food was really good. You get a really good view of the area from where you're sitting. Service was excellent and it's a beautiful space to hang out for a little bit. Will definitely come back for dinner at some point. read more

See all

First time at Water Bar a nice restaurant/bar surrounded by a fountain wall of water. Beautiful location to take photos. We had the following appetizer's and dinner: -Lobster roll with crispy tater tots. I'd order this lobster roll again very close to what you get in a restaurant in Maine (4.5/5). -Lemongrass Chicken Dumplings. They were crispy with a delicious dipping sauce (4/5). -Crispy chicken wings. The wings lacked flavor on the batter (3.8/5). -Tuna Poke Bowl too small for the price and it was too citrusy for me. I'm used to traditional poke bowls (3.8/5). -Guacamole with chips (4/5). The guacamole tasted fresh with the right amount of lime and salt. The service was good but wished the restaurant had a better happy hour menu with more food and drink options. Happy Yelping :) read more

See all

My friends and I were turned away at 8:30 on Friday night because the place was closing!! The bar was packed!What is happening with this beautiful restaurant?? read more

Great location in Crystal City. Went during happy hour, interesting note - margaritas took less time than draft beer. Service was OK but not great. The manager was working, very professional. The staff and bartender didn't seem to care about being there. The food was decent. There are a million places to have an after work drink or get together, this is not my first choice. read more

Kind of a strange vibe. I can't understand how they can serve fresh oysters with the low amount of foot traffic thru here. Food is ok. Nothing special. read more

OK you guys, the vibe is hot. Unusually hot for Arlington. Pentagon City needed this place. And, while it might only have 3.5 stars on Yelp as of this writing, it was needs-a-reservation packed when we arrived. Since we didn't have a reservation we ended up at like the last 2 bar seats at the counter facing out over the water and honestly...we were perfectly happy sitting there. It helped that there was live music in the park below, a fitting summery reggae. Honestly, it felt like we weren't in DC. It felt like we were on vacation in Miami or somewhere tropical. I had worn men's botanical print silk button-down over a bandeau midriff top - 100% the correct sartorial choice. It was also LITERALLY hot, temperature-wise, but we were seated next to a fan so, actually, perfect. Food was also good and honestly, for this area, given the price inflation lately, on par price-wise, though I may not have felt that way if it had opened with these prices a few years ago. Portions were maybe a little small, but not egregiously so, and I have no complaints about the thematically appropriate (read: seafood, but not over the top) menu selection or the actual food execution. See my pics. Cocktails were fine. Again, pricey, but pretty standard for the area. Not the quality I've come to expect for slightly higher prices at Salt or other bars that are billed as capital "c" COCKTAIL bars, where you order food to go with your drink and not the other way around, but these were fine for a place that's as much about food as it is drinks. I'd stick to what's on the cocktail menu, though, or the very basics. The cocktail menu does seem to rotate seasonally, which is nice, particularly since the menu when they first opened - which admittedly, I did not have a chance to try and should not judge - seemed to lean really heavily into the briney and savory cocktails, which isn't everyone's thing. Service was hit or miss. Or server herself was helpful and personable, but good luck getting anywhere with bussers or helpers. We ordered hummus and the hummus itself was really good, but light on the pita. So half the hummus was left with nothing to scoop it. Someone, not our server, came by and asked if we'd like more pita. Yes! And we were happy to pay for it if they charged, but it never came. Many minutes later, now realizing more pita was an option, we asked another helper person. She agreed. But several minutes later, no pita. After a third and final attempt, we asked our actual server for more pita. She said no problem, but again it never came. And when she came to check on us later and offer our bill it's like the pita request had never happened. On the other hand, she was knowledgeable about the menu, able to answer questions, able to handle substitutions (e.g., putting ceasar dressing on my non-ceasar side salad instead of the default, etc.). Anyway, is it absolute gourmet perfection? No. It's not 5 stars. But a solid 4. Mainly, you're coming for the overall experience and the vibe and to get to play pretend that you're actually cool and chill and live on the beach and don't work in a depressing city full of beat down federal office lackeys, Hill staffers, underpaid NGO wonks and overworked attorneys. And for a few hours, it will actually make you believe. read more

See all

Service: 10/10. The service was great. Salmon Burger: 8/10. It was missing some seasoning on the salmon itself. I also felt the salmon was a bit dry. Overall it was ok. Poke Bowl: 9/10. It had good flavor. Would definitely order again. Overall: read more

Water Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

The view is nice of course especially with the water feature. You are in a bar with open doors, perfect for summer days. Quick service and good food. We enjoyed the drinks. Go downstairs and hear a live band . read more

Water Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

See all

Amazing service from all the staff from the second we walked in. Heaven was amazing and very knowledgeable on the menu. Jailin and mauricio also came multiple times to make sure our table had everything we needed. read more

Water Bar was a super cool restaurant with an awesome view of the Va landscape. The food was delicious and served with a smile. I love the open setting and the ambiance is so vibrant. Only issue, was my initial server who was doing an amazing job disappeared half way through my meal and never came back again ( that was extremely confusing and the delay in service was definitely felt ) read more

Drinks were great! Service was even better. Nilo was so sweet and very accommodating. Can't wait to be back!

Come for the cocktails and stay for the food. Extensive beverage list and slot of interesting cocktails on the menu you wouldn't normally see. Burger looked unassuming but was bursting with flavor. The sauce went just right with the smashed 2 patties. Bun was soft yet crispy and perfectly held the burger. Fish and chips had the right fish to batter ratio. They also had very nice holiday lights. Service was attentive. read more

See all

This restaurant is in a very unique location with a great view of the cityscape. It is nearby a railroad so be prepared for some noise with that, combined with any of that from the live music that usually happens there. Outside of that, it's fairly quiet. When I arrived, I was quick to be seated but it took about 30 minutes to get a waiter to take our order. That gave me plenty of time, unfortunately, to read the entire menu which centers around seafood and comfort food. I ended up ordering the pork sandwich that came with chips and was very good. I wish it didn't take so long to take my order or bring out my food. I'd also add that the water served was disgusting; tasted like melted ice water from a cooler. I'd stick to the cocktails only if I were you. If you got a lot of time and are in the area, not a terrible spot. read more

See all

Love this spot- been several times and it's stayed consistent for two years. Cute decor, the waterfall is a win on a pretty day. The staff is friendly and attentive. Great happy hour food + drink options. The calamari, fried shrimp, guac n chips, and truffle fries + drinks are standard go to's. read more

Me and my buddy were in Crystal City looking for a place to get some eats and drank yesterday (Tuesday noonish) and we were like "let's just hit up the Water Bar!" And I'm glad we did! We had the whole place to ourselves lol great rainy day spot. My buddy had a few Jacks and Coke, I had the crab empanadas which were amazing!!! Definitely try them if you go. Service was great, bartender was very friendly and helpful. The ambience is nice, u get a Caribbean feel up there with all the water falling down lol Def check them out next time you're at the water park! Sit at the bar, the seats are very comfortable. 5 stars fo sho! read more

Water Bar - Crab empanadas - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

See all

Mauricio and Kevin were awesome! They create a chill vibe and so attentive. Such a great place to relax and sip

This dish was very nice my only critique would be less curry in the cauliflower rice. It was good after a couple of bites it was overwhelming with the spice. read more

Water Bar - Pan Seared Salmon - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

See all

Had another incredible experience at Water Bar. New drinks and food selections are astounding. Great oysters/raw bar options. Service was top notch. The entire staff go above and beyond to ensure everyone feels welcome. Delicious! Delightful! Stellar! read more

From the moment we were seated, Nilo went above and beyond. He was warm, welcoming, and genuinely attentive. You can tell he takes real pride in his work -- every recommendation he gave was spot-on, from drinks to dessert. What really stood out was how Nilo anticipated our needs before we even asked. Water glasses were never empty, special requests were remembered perfectly, and he managed everything with a calm, professional charm that made us feel totally taken care of. Restaurants are only as good as the people in the restaurant . We'll absolutely be back-- and we'll definitely be asking for Nilo! read more

Really great cocktails and the food was fresh and delish. Hidden a bit off the road that I wasn't sure it was open but was the perfect place to spend a lunch. Nice and quiet. Friendly staff and fantastic bartender! read more

Water Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Food was mid but very pricey. Service was mid...waitress never made sure our drinks came but they did make them on the house...with that being said, no cap they were just OK It's outdoor seating so it comes with the elements which on this particular day was a nice summer night to have dinner. I heard that I came after they switched managers so the food menu posted on Yelp is not the same as what the restaurant serves unless people have posted updated pictures. Try it for yourself cuz we have different taste buds but in MY opinion, I won't be returning ‍ read more

I was seated by the hostess, but the server didn't come over for 15 minutes, and when he did, he simply told me he would be with me shortly. Seven more minutes passed before I finally got to place my drink and food order. I ordered a turkey sandwich and a mule. While the food arrived quickly, I was disappointed to find that the sandwich contained deli meat instead of actual carved turkey, as I had expected from the menu description. To make matters worse, my drink still hadn't arrived by the time the food came. Overall, the service was poor, the food was disappointing, and the mule was not enjoyable either. read more

Beautiful bar, lots of plugs to plug in your laptop if you are working from home. Really enjoyed the food options and the view! read more

Water Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

This whole place rules outside of the water bar as well. Great atmosphere, but mad credit to the folks working the bar. Mauricio in particular was both hilarious and efficient. Looking forward to making this a regular spot! read more

I visited The Water Bar a few months ago but on a recent visit learned they are under new management and have changed their menu. The tomato salad, crab empanada, and oysters are no longer food options. It's still a great happy hour or meet up spot... and, the bartenders are consistent. The drinks are amazing. read more

See all

The hostess was not friendly at all but the drinks were great, food was good as well..I would go back for sure! read more

Water Bar - Drink: Thorn in my side Food: truffle fries and crispy shrimp - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Lobster Mac & Cheese was very good. Oysters are ok but there are better places around to get half shells under $3 a piece. Front host sat me with my back to the whole restaurant which led me to being semi-ignored by most of the wait staff. I ordered a dozen on the half shell and only got 6. So that was disappointing. I also spent the entire meal listening to three patrons clearly intoxicated at the end of the bar screaming profanities at one another about how bad their daughters were performing in school. So probably not a great ambiance for date night unless the bar staff grows the courage to cut people off and tells them to leave. The area is cute. Nice place to come visit, but I'd order to-go if at all. Plenty of better places around. read more

Service from Amanda was amazing. The view and atmospher at Water Bar was immaculate. Highly recommend . read more